Saed Hindash/The Star-LedgerRowan University will host the South Jersey public school sectional football championship game in December.

The state’s governing body for high school athletics has finalized plans to hold four South Jersey public school sectional championship football games at Rowan University in Glassboro on Dec. 2 and 3.

Officials from the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association toured the facilities at Rowan this morning and later completed an agreement with the college to bring the South Jersey Group 1, 2, 3 and 4 title games to the neutral site in Gloucester County.

In previous years, the South Jersey sectional finals were held at the home field of the higher seed, while the rest of the state played its championships at neutral sites such as the Meadowlands, Rutgers University, Kean University and The College of New Jersey.

“It’s a win-win for everybody,” NJSIAA assistant director Jack DuBois said. “We inspected the facility and it’s very good. It’s a good place to have the fall championships for South Jersey.”

The NJSIAA announced in August it was moving South Jersey title games to TCNJ in Mercer County, a decision that was in part financially motivated as the organization — struggling since legislation went into affect in January 2010 restricting what it could charge for postseason tickets — looked for new ways to make money.

DuBois said he looked into holding the South Jersey games at Rowan in January, but was told by a coach at the college that the school was planning renovations to its locker rooms that would prevent it from hosting the games.

When Assemblyman John Burzichelli (D-Gloucester) — the author of the ticket-pricing legislation — heard about the South Jersey games being moved to TCNJ, he was concerned it would cost South Jersey schools more money in travel expenses and inconvenience fans. He reached out to officials at Rowan, who told Burzichelli the renovation plans were on hold, opening the door for the championship games.

“It’s something better of a bad situation,” Burzichelli said. “The good news is, the travel expense and the inconvenience to these families living in the southern part of the state is going to be remedied. We’ll pick up the rest of the conversation as we go.”

The NJSIAA also received word Saturday from the Commissioner of Education that it can charge $5.50 for adults and $2 for students/seniors for football championship games held at Kean and TCNJ, and $9 and $3 for games held at the Meadowlands and Rutgers.

The NJSIAA had asked to charge $8 and $2 for games at Kean and TCNJ and $10 and $3 for games at the Meadowlands and Rutgers.

Ticket prices for Rowan have not yet been determined because the site wasn’t included in the original ticket-pricing petition sent to the Commissioner of Education by the NJSIAA.

Last season, the NJSIAA was allowed to charge the same amount for football games at the Meadowlands and Rutgers, and slightly more ($6 and $2) for games at Kean and TCNJ.

This season, the NJSIAA is allowed to charge $5 and $2 for boys and girls soccer championships at TCNJ, and $6 and $2 for field hockey at TCNJ, girls volleyball at William Paterson and gymnastics at five high school sites.

The NJSIAA had asked to charge $8 and $2 for boys and girls soccer, $8 and $2 for field hockey and $6 and $2 for volleyball and gymnastics.

Last year, it charged $6 and $2 for students/seniors for field hockey and boys and girls soccer, and $6 for adults and nothing for students/seniors for girls volleyball and gymnastics.

However, the NJSIAA issued a press release today addressing the ticket pricing situation.

“While additional communication with the Department of Education is pending, the initial ticket pricing structure we received is sufficient to enable us to continue holding championship competitions,” Timko said in the release. “However, if not revised, this level of pricing could very well create hardships related to several other important initiatives.”